becoming a runner?? advice?

anyone a runner/jogger here? how did you start? how did you build stamina etc?

i have thought about it for a while- both my parents swear by jogging. Its quick, its outdoors, you dont need a lot of expensive equipment etc. I think my mom jogged into her 7th month when she was pregnant with me.

They have always tried to get me to join but i hate that im horrible at it and have never put in the time to build stamina.... also my mom is really pushy so that kind of turns me off from it.

also- im kind of embarrased to run. sounds wierd huh? where i live there is a great place to run but there are all these size 2 zero body fat people who look like they dont even break a sweat and then there is me- wheezing and jiggling along.

so any advice on how to get started?? anything that helped you??

thanks!

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I will not let stress, unexpected surprises, or lack of planning derail my plans to be the best, most fit, healthiest me.

i am a fairly new runner. i started walking really to lose the weight i had suddenly gained. when that wasnt working, i started walking/running.

walk 3 min/run 1 walk 3/run 1..then i slowly increased the running time and lowered the walking time. i did this all on the treadmill. still the weight didnt budge (later found out it was thyroid), but that was much later, and by the time they figured it out i was running a mile without walking before i knew it.

you have to push yourself to get to that first mile though. from there its easy as pie. i have been running for almost a year and cant imagine my life without it. and the weight is finally gone, and the body i got from running is something i have never had.

you can read my blog at my link below. its mostly about running now and i belong to a group called Houston Running Bloggers.

Start slowly with plenty of walking intervals, look into the Couch to 5k programme if you want an idea of the sort of structure that can take. Don't increase what you do too quickly, build up gradually without overdoing it. Don't worry about being bigger than other runners - I ran my first 5k race at 220lb so there's no way you're too big for it!

It can take a while to get to the stage where you feel comfortable doing it, but once you get to that stage it really is some of the best exercise you can get, and I'd highly recommend it.

__________________Helen

SW - 260, Original GW - 160 - achieved 21 March 2006, CW erm... I'll get back to you on that

Ahhh running. A few years back I completed a 1/2 marathon after not running in ages. The key is to start slow. Celebrate every success even if it is running the first block and having to stop. Set a goal and gradually work towards it.

Although there may be bunches of size 2s out there running, there are also a bunch of them that are looking at you as an inspiration. Run like everybody wants you or they are jealous of you, and soon you will click off the miles.

Also before you start, get yourself a good pair of shoes. Don't go cheap on them. Don't forget to stretch.

i used to run for about a month a few years back. my goal was to go out every day or every other day and jog as far as i could. it didn't take long to realize i couldn't make it far at all. in the neighborhood i lived in, we had speed bumps. i learned they were one tenth of a mile apart. so that became my goal. first job from one speed bump to the next. once that was accomplished, i would try to make it past that speed bump a little further until i was finally running two tenths of a mile. and i just kept trying to increase it more and more.

but i was alot like one of the other girls on here, i didn't want anyone in the neighborhood see me, so i would run on the back streets where no one lived, or run after dark. (thank gosh for street lights) hahaha

Start slow, and build, intervals are key, run 2 minutes walk 2 minutes or 5 minutes depending on your stamina, the point is to shorten the walking time, lenghten the running time. Set a goal of a 5K or something like that to keep you motivated.

Also as someone who runs regularly and is no where near a size 2, (I can also say no one in my weekly running group is a size 2 either, and we completed a marathon together), so dont even pay an attention to that, there are lots of us out there with curves!! :-) Good Luck!!

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The miracle wasnt in having finished 26.2 miles, it was: taking the first step!

Thanks for asking the question, Freddy, because I, too, am looking to be a runner. Well, sort of. I want to do one 5 or 10 K. My question is how often do you run? Is every day too much? I've been walking/running on M, Tu, Th, and Sat, working up to 60 min. each session (run 1.5 min., walk 3.5 min) and on Wed and Fri, I do water aerobics with my DH. I'm a little scared to try 2 min. running and 3 min. walking because I have knee problems. So I wonder if I should back down the duration from 60 min. to 45 min. and go to a 2/3 combo? Any suggestions?

There's already been so much advice given. The first thing is to start slow, be consistent, and you're only competeting with yourself, no one else. Running is great because its about your personal growth, etc. And its CHEAP! You can also start at just about any time, there are great resources out there, and different websites to check up on. Most will talk about walk/run intervals etc.

I too am starting to work on my running. Right now, I'm just trying to walk, and doing cardio on other machines. I haven't had time to actually get to a track and the indoor track at my gym is a little intimidating. But, hopefully, by next week I plan to start running in intervals and not just walking.

Good luck!

Also, not everyone who runs is thin, and not everyone who exercises is either. And they totally aren't thinking about you, I hope that doesn't sound mean, but its like everyone at the gym or running is focused just as much on their bodies and programs as you are! And most people are inspired by people exercising big and small. I've started going to the gym and I was totally nervous thinking everyone would be Barbies and Kens... But totally not, although there are those fab bodied people, there are ten times more regular and bigger people.

thanks for all the advice! starting next mon i am going to give it a try. re the size 2 ers... i live in an area of a large city (SF) that is mainly 20-30 year olds. people are in freakishly good shape. its a very "sceney" area. im just going to suck it up and get out there though!

thanks again for all the advice- i will keep you posted.

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I will not let stress, unexpected surprises, or lack of planning derail my plans to be the best, most fit, healthiest me.

yeah SF does SEEM to have alot of healthy peeps. i was there in october and noticed it.

you know what i was surprised at? this year at the Houston Marathon ( i only ran the 5K), i noticed that about80% of the people doing the full and the 1/2 were what most would consider overweight. not that i consider them that way...well you know what i mean...they certainly werent size 2's. i found that encouraging for myself!

i cant wait till jan 07!!!!!!!!!

also ready freddy theres a cool runners thread in the Exercise section that they start for each month for advice and support!

On how often to run, when you're starting off I'd try to do it every other day or so (3 or 4 times per week). Maybe double up on weekends and run Saturday and Sunday if it helps you get your runs in easier than running during the week, but make sure you get rest days. As you build up you can judge how much you're doing better. I still mainly run Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, although on weeks when I can't run at the weekend I have been known to run for four or five days straight and then rest for two or three. I much prefer spacing it out though.

Yes, good shoes are another good one. The shoes I had before were fine for up to about 5k but then started rubbing, so I hated running further than that. I got some shoes properly fitted and now I'm running 12 miles without the slightest problem.

You don't have to be a size 2 to be a good runner. I'm certainly not, and I'm training for a half marathon and then a marathon later in the year. No matter how thin you are you won't be able to do it straight off, and I bet if you started at the same time as one of those annoying people who is thin without exercising, and at a same level of fitness, they'd find it just as hard as you!

The best thing about running is that you can treat it as a competitive sport where the competition is you. You're not trying to beat other people, you're trying to improve so that if you ran a 40 minute 5k once your target isn't to beat the people who run it in under 20, but to run it in 35 or even one day 30 minutes or less. You can win your challenges without coming anywhere near the front of the pack and get as much out of it as the people who race towards the finish at frightening speeds.

__________________Helen

SW - 260, Original GW - 160 - achieved 21 March 2006, CW erm... I'll get back to you on that

Readyfreddy running can be fun, no matter what size you are or what your pace. I was 25 pounds thinner (but still heavier than I wanted to be) when completed a marathon in 1998 at age 38. I trained with the Leukemia Team in Training people which gave training tips, runs, support, everything. I just wanted to do it so bad. I was always into endurance but never fast at anything. I walked the Boston Marathon for the Jimmy Fund in 1998 as well. Well now I am 45, even heavier (at 170, 5'7) and haven't been doing much but walking....try to do 45 min to an hour. But because I am plateaued with weight and going up and down same 5, my jc counselor and I discussed increasing the sweats with workouts, i.e. increase intervals...i have a nice street with a park which is 1/2 mile to end. The stop signs are placed at 1/10 intervals. So it is easy to chart my progress or lack thereof. Everyone recommends running on grassy/dirt surfaces vs. pavement but I still prefer pavement and the ease of going out my front door. I usually like evening for weather conditions and less traffic but today went out early and it was beautiful....the weather, the pond, the ducks, everything...and I just kept going a full half mile without walking....which is better than I have been doing. My goal is to work up to full mile then 5k and do a formal one. I did do a Halloween fun run (5k) but did walk a little......want to do it without walking. And hoping this will help with my weight loss (want to lose 20 to 30). No other exercise compares with the rush I get from jogging...and I am not fast....I just love it when I am doing it. Get the right shoes and socks..and sports bra....and work out clothes appropriate to the weather. I usually wear shorts and a tee over sports bra as am In FL. Good luck all. Love this site.